Closure for retorts.



P. PLANTINGA.

` v GLOSURE FOR -RE'JTORI'S.`

APPLIoATIoN FILED MAY 22 190s. 491 1,524. l Patented Feb. 2, 1909. a SHEETS-SHEET Yi.

P. PLANTINGA.

GLUSURE FOB, EETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 190s.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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P. PLNTINGA.

GLOSURE FOB. RETOBTS. A'PPLIUATIQN FILED MAY 22, 190s.

91 1,524. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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PIERRE PLANTINGA, VOF CLEVELAND, OHIO.v

oLosURE Fon 1an-Tours.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.V 2, 1909.

Application nea nay 22, 190s. 'serial No. 434,305.

To all whom it' may concern: j

Be it known that l, PIERRE PLANTINGA, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Closures for Retorts and the ike and 0 erating Mechanism Therefor, of

which the ollowing is a s ecification, the principle of the invention eing herein eX- plained and the best mode in which I have contemplated ap lying that principle, so as to distinguish it om other inventions.

My invention relates' to closures for the discharge openings of gas-retorts or the like, its object being to provide means whereby the door of the closure may be manipulated with safety to the operator, and at the same time effect a gas-tight contact between such` door and that part of the retort surrounding the opening. Y

A further object of the invention is to per* mit of the use of an upright retort having a bottom opening, and in which the charge necessarily is borne by the door closing such opening, and at the same time increase the life of such door without impairing its eifectiveness in the performance of its function.

The said invention consists of means here* inafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. Y j

In said annexed drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the lower-end of a gas retort, closure and operating mechanism therefor embodying my invention, showing a part of the retort in vertical axiall section, such closure being shown as occupyin its closed position. Fig. 2 is a vertical aXia section of the said lower end of the retort together with a similar section of the closure, showing the latter in a partially open position, the com*V letely open position being shown in dotted lines. Flg. 3 is a bottom plan of themouthpiece frame, closure and operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of same. Figs..5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of detailed, parts of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an ordinary upright retort used in the manufacture of gas. The lower end or mouth of the retort, from which the coke is removed after the gas-making processis completed, is provided with a closure and mechanism for operating same, which embody myk invention.

Surrounding the lower end of the retort which is supported in any'suitable manner and suitably secured in place so' as to be stationary, kis a collar-B, which is formed upon its lower end with a frange l). To the lower surface of this flange is secured a mouth-piece frame C provided with a central opening c, which forms the lower end or mouth of the interior of the retort, and the flange c5, by means of which latter it may be secured to the collar B. The lower surface-c of this frame is planed off to form a contact or bearing surface for the door which engages the surface surrounding the mouth to form an air and gas-tight closure. Upon the rear of the frame and formed integrally therewith are two lugs c2 c2, Figs. l and 3, in which are formed horizontal bearings for an Voscillatory rod D. This rod is formed with two eccentric journals d d, Figs. 5 and 6, Which'lie outside of and adjacent to the lugs c2 c2 when the rod is in place in its bearings. These journals d d occupy a position such as illustrated in Fig. 7, in which the eccentrics are above the aXis of the rod, when the door is in its closing position, as will be hereinafter more fully described. Upon these journals d" d are mounted two oscillatory transverse bars E E, commonly referred to in the art` as crossbars. The free or swinging end of these bars E E project beyond the mouth of the retort and into the plane of movement of two latches F F. These latches are mounted upon pins c3 c3, Figs. 2 and 3,'from which they de end and upon which they may freely osci ate, said pins being suitably mounted upon lugs c4 c1 cast integrally with the mouth-piece frame, as will be readily understood. The horizontal distance between these lugs is made slightly greater than the thickness of the latches, so that the latter may have a slight amount of lateral play in a direction perpendicular to their Cplane of oscillation.

ach latch is provide witha nose f, Fig. 4, which form catches 'for the free ends of the crossbars, by means of which the latter may be held in a substantially horizontal position as shown in Fig. l. The lower ends of these latches are pivoted to a common connecting bar F', upon one end of which is pivoted a connecting rod F2. The outer end of the lateral rod `is pivoted upon an operating lever F3 which is itself pivotally mounted upon a suitable hanger j which is iixed to a suitable stationary support, such as the floor plate A., The upper endof each latch is provided with a stop f2, Which engages the lower surface oi the adjacent portion of the mouth-piece 'trame C, when the latches occupy their vertical positions, as shown in Fig. 4. Each latch is furthermore provided with a curved or inclined surface f3, which may be engaged by the 'tree ends of the crossbars when the latter are swung upwardly, to throw the said latches out of their vertical position and permit the said crossbars to move into their horizontal positions in which they may be engaged and held by the catches j'. rihe stopsf2 prevent the latches from swinging into a position which will bring the bar F into the path of the crossbars and thereby prevent the latter from moving upwardly as required.

frs will be observed i'rom the above described construction in which the operating lever F3 occupies a position lateral out the mouth oi fthe retort, that the latches may, from a position lateral of the retort, be moved to disengage or engage the crossbars as may be desired.

The door G which closes the mouth oi the retort, is mounted upon the crossbars E E, in a manner hereinafter described and consists oi two parts, an outer or main concave-convex member g and an inner or protecting concave-convex member g', Fig. 2. rilhe outer or main memberg is formed with a circumferential flange provided with a bearing surface g2 which is adapted to engage the bearing surface c of the mouthpiece trame `for -forming the gas-tight junction Vbetween the door and the retort. rlhe inner member g is also 'formed with a.circumferential flange g3 which is, however, oi less linear length than that oi member g so that 'the member g may be placed within and be entirely `surrounded by the flange of said member g, Fig. 2. Said member g is secured to the main member with its con cave surface opposin@v that of said main member as shown ano its inner lace g1 is inclined relatively to the bearing surface g2 of such main member, the inclination being upward from the pivoted side of the bar to the opposite side thereof, when the latter is in its closed position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The said member g is furthe-r formed with a central boss g5, Fig. 9, in which is Jformed a tee-slet gs, whereby a head ot the bolt /gl may be introduced laterally into said boss. A central opening g8 is formed in the main or outer member g for the reception of this bolt, the outer end oi which is threaded to receive a suitable nut gf. By means oi this construction it will be seen that the inner or protecting member may be removably secured to the outer or main member.

Upon the bottom surfaceoic the door G are formed two pairs oi lugs g1 gw, through bars thereby forming pivotal connection between such crossbars and the door, as will be readily understood.

Connecting the two crossbars E E is a transverse bar H, Fi gs. i, 3 and 8. Vl his bar has its ends turned d wn to 'form journals lt li, which are mounted in suitable cylindrical holes in the cressbars il lil, 'lorniing bearings ier such journals. The outer ends oi' the `iournals li are threaded. to receive suitable nuts, Fig. 3, which hold the bar in proper position, as will be readily understood.

Rigidly secured to or forming an integral part oi the mouth-piece ironie l is a downwardly 'projecting portion c, whose lower end is provided with. a horizontal bearing for an oscillatory rod d'. Keyed to this rod and located on each side o'l the bearing` c7 are arms ll' il. nrticulating with the ends of these rods are two members il ill, Fig. Il, whose outer ends are threaded and passed through the bar lil. rlhese ends are. secured by means oi suitable nuts j, j. The. rod fl extends laterally of the retort and is provided with an operating` lever nl, the oscil" latory rod l) being similarly provided. 'with an operating lever D, these two levers und rods being so placed as not to interiore with each others operations, as shown in li l and 4l. lt will be noted that both the rods D and J may be actuated ironi a position lateral with respect to the retort.

Let it be assumed that the doei' is sluit and secured in place, the charge in the retort is resting upon same, and the latter is heid in place by the latches l? l5, the door and cross bars forming what l shall hereinafter refer to as a stopper-member. ln this position the operating lever fl occupies a position substantially horizontal, as shown in liig. l, operating lever D"Z occupying a position substantially vertit as also shown .in said 'ligure in Fig. l. ll it is non` desired to permit the discharge oi the. coi'itenls ol' the retort, the operator throws the lever ll do' nwardly into the position shown in lfig. i2, and then grasps the lever d and the lever ils is then moved to disengage the latches i from the cipssbars E E. 'l`he point ol application of the connecting members il being placed interinediately oi the ends oi" the stopper member and their pivotal axis or fulcrum an d nearer the 'lli-ee or swinging ond thereof, compai .tively heavy weight may be sustained by the implication ol' the strength of the operator to the end oi the lever ill-'5. This lever is now lowered griub ually by the operator to open the door (l. As soon as suiiicient space between the retort and door is obtained, the coiieuts thereof begin to discharge. The protecting plate g placed as above described receives each of which a bolt 'C passes transversely, i the contact oi' the discharging material, and

Fig. 3. These bolts pass through the crossl being arranged in the inclined position prelill viously described, diverts said material from the bearing surface g2 of the main member g and thereby prevents any injury thereto or impairment oi the integrity of its surface. The action of the discharging material is illustrated in Fig. 2. ltV willbe observed that these operations are all capable of being controlled lfrom a position laterally of the retort, so that all danger to the operator due to the discharge of the material or the movement oic the closure is eliminated.

llllhen it is desired to close the mouth ol' the retort, the operations above described are reversed, that is, operating lever J3 is iirst lifted so asto bring the crossbars E into theirhorizontal positions. This having been accomplished, the latches are moved to engage the crossbars as shown in Fig. e. The lever Dzis now moved upwardly toV assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. This latter action brings the eccentrics from a position below the axis of the rod D to the position originally described above, a slight movement of the door in a transverse direction being thereby eiiected, lirst toward the rear and nally toward the front, the rear end of the cross bars being at the same time lifted up a' short distance. g this movement is to produceV a scraping or frictional action between the bearing surfaces c and (12, whereby any obstruction in the form oi dirt, dust or particles of coke are ground or pulverized so as to afford practically no impediment to the formation of the required air and gas-tight Y joint. As previously mentioned, the distance between the two lugs c4 c is made suoli as to permit the latches F to be subjected toa slight lateral or transverse movement. This provision is made so that these latches may move transversely with the door during the last described operation,

What l thereforerclaim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is Y 1. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a stopper-member, of

means for actuating said member and com-l prising mechanism for moving same toward and from the opening to be closed and mechanism operable independently of said iirstnamed mechanism, for moving said member in a direction transverse with respect to such lirst-named movement.

2. ln a device of the character described, the combination of a stationary mouth-piece frame provided with an opening, a stoppermember pivotally mounted and adapted to be swung into position to close said opening;.an oscillatory rod connected with said stoppermember and an operating lever secured to said rod; such rod and lever being adapted to actuate said stopper-member to assume its open and closed positions.v y

3. ln a device of the character described,

the combination of an upright retort having The effect of y a bottom opening; a stopper-member pivotally mounted and adapte to be swung into position to close said openings; a laterallyextending oscillatory rod connected with said stopper-member and an operating lever secured to said rod; such rod and lever being adapted to actuate said stopper-member to assume its open and closed positions.

4. ln a device of the character described, the combination of an upright retort having a bottom opening; a stopper member pivotally mounted and adapted to be swung into position to close said opening; a laterallyextending oscillatory rod, connections between the latter and said stopper member, said connections arranged so as to apply the force exerted thereby on the said stopper member at a point intermediate of the pivotal axis of the latter and its opposite end; and an operating lever secured to said rod; said rod and operating lever being adapted to actuate said stopper-member to assume its open and closed positions.

5. ln a device of the character described, the combination of an upright retort having a bottom opening; pivoted means adapted to be swung toward and from said opening; a door carried by said pivoted means, and means engaging said pivoted means intermediatelyV of the extremities for actuating same up on its pivotal axis.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of an upright retort having a bottom opening; pivoted means adapted to be swung toward and from said opening; a door carried by said pivoted means; an oscillatory rod `and operating lever connected therewith; an arm secured to said rod, and a connecting member articulating with the end of said arm and connected with said pivoted means.

7. ln a device of the character described, the combination of an upright retort having a bottom opening pivoted means adapted to be swung toward and from said opening; a door carried by said pivoted means; an oscillatory rod and operating lever connected therewith; an arm secured to said rod; and a connecting member articulating withthe end of said arm and secured to said pivoted means intermediately of its extremities.

S. ln a device of the character described, the combination of an upright retort having a bottom opening; means adapted to be moved toward and from said opening and comprising two bars each pivoted at one end and a transverse bar having its ends oscillatorily mounted in said pivoted bars respectively; a door carried by said pivoted bars; an oscillatory rod and operating lever connected therewith; an arm secured to said rod; and a connecting memberhaving one end articulating with the end of said arm `and the other end secured to said transverse bar.

9. In a closure for retorts or the like, a

pivoed `doer comprising an outer or niain l member, and an inner nien'iber secured uherei to and having a farce in a plane inclined reletiyely to the plane of ABhe bearing surface ef 5 said main ineinber7 the said bearing surface plane and inclined piene diyerging frein each other in the direction away frein its pivotal xis toward 4@he free or swinging end of said oor.

10 10. n a closure for retorts er the like, a

door arranged to be placed in i horizontal p0- sitien and formed with :an inclined surface upon its upper side, the inclination ef sind. surface being upward frein the piveted side to the Opposite side ei said door.

Signed by ine, this 18th dey ef May, 1908 PERRE PLAN TIN GA. j Attested byxiLLiAM ROSE MiLLnR, A. E. lxnRKEL. 

